s of the
author of the "Magnalia." Its last private proprietor was a collateral
descendant of the Mathers, an eccentric character, popularly known as
Miser Farrel. As Farrel was a bachelor, and had the reputation of being
enormously rich, the College authorities of his day were accustomed to
treat him with distinguished consideration, and went so far, I believe,
as to vote him some minor degree. What effect these academic
blandishments may have had upon their object cannot at present be
determined. For when the day came for the long-expected will to be
opened, it was found that the old gentleman had bequeathed to the
College only his Mather Safe, with certain papers carefully let into the
wood-work in one corner of the same,--which papers were not to be
removed or opened for a hundred years.

It may be conceived that this bulky benefaction was not accepted with
the best grace, particularly as the testator made no provision for
considerable expense necessarily incurred in moving and setting it up in
the library. Yet, not satisfied with this culpable negligence, Mr.
Farrel had affixed still other conditions to the acceptance of his gift.
He had caused two massive locks to be put upon the Mather Safe, of which
he enjoined that the respective keys should be forever held by the
President and Treasurer of the College, to the end that neither could
have access to its contents except in the presence of the other.
Moreover, he required that the Safe should be used only as a receptacle
for packages which the depositors desired to keep from the world for at
least fifty years. Of course no right-minded corporation would have
endured this posthumous fussiness, were it not for the mysterious papers
left in the Safe,--these being considered instruments whereby immense
possessions would finally come to the College. But, as their worthy
friend, however niggardly in other respects, had taken care to save
nothing in lawyers, there were really no means of disregarding his
wishes, except by relinquishing all claims under the will. And so, many
years ago, the Mather Safe came to be opened to the public on the
conditions already declared. At first, it was matter of surprise that so
many persons appeared to claim the privilege of Farrel's singular
legacy. Carefully enveloped packages had been consigned to various
periods of oblivion by all conditions of men and women. These were
numbered and registered in a volume kept for the purpose; they we